Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Gallup Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gallup, New Mexico 87301
Saturday, September 7, 2013 13:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane and that the landing roll was uneventful until he began retracting the wing flaps at a ground speed comparable to a "brisk walk." He reported that the airplane ground-looped after he inadvertently released left brake pressure while his attention was diverted with the mechanical flap handle. The pilot reported that although the airport's weather radio broadcast indicated a calm wind condition, there was a slight right crosswind during the landing. The pilot stated that the crosswind condition did not contribute to his loss of directional control during landing roll. Rather, the loss of control was due to his failure to follow his standard practice of bringing the airplane to a complete stop before completing any post-landing checklist items (including retracting the wing flaps). The pilot reported no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane directional control during the landing roll due to his diverted attention.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/7/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gallup |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 87301 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353040N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1084722W |
| Event Location Airport | Gallup Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GUP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6472 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GUP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6472 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KGUP 071853Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM FEW085 28/06 |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31896 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB, Central Region Duty Offi |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 19 2013 4:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N561AT |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA541 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32403 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5209 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John R. Taber |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Godley |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76044-0866 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | John R. Taber |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Godley |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 76044-0866 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PRZ |
| Departure City | Portales |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GUP |
| Destination City | Gallup |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 19 2013 10:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 06 |
| Runway Length | 7316 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |